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quinta-feira, 15 de novembro de 2012

From time to time, when i think that nowadays nothing can surprise me anymore in terms of heavy music, one of these precious gems surface and as my ears are flooded with such great music i silently whisper a sincere: "Holy shit...".

This happened today when i discovered Sonance, a atmospheric/experimental sludge/doom collective hailing from Bristol while checking my blog roll. Their first release only features two tracks, around 20 minutes each, no titles just "Side A" and "Side B". The fact that these guys came from England really got my attention since there are few acts there that practice this kind of music, and most of them are quite impressive. And after a first audition to this... well, I guess i was right.

"Side A" begins with this hiss coming out of violins giving the motto for this thick cacophony wall of sludge that sounds pretty much like Hell. Massive riffs are hammered repeatedly through our brain as the voices behind it scream and yell. Suddenly the whole music tempo changes and morphs into what it seems a more post-rock/instrumental register, very low, it moves at a very slow pace until it morphs again into a more aggressive beast. There's layers and layers of rich and diverse elements that intertwine harmoniously between each other and work perfectly together, and that voice that speaks "like ghosts.." around at minute 7:45... leaves me speechless. I can see there's a clear Neurosis influence in Sonance's sound but i can also throw in names like Kayo Dot or even Godspeed You! Black Emperor. "Side B" goes to a more drone/atmospheric territories before it unveils these massive layers of sludge metal. This was the factor that hooked me up instantly, the whole atmosphere that lies within Sonance's music. making this release (and band) the best music i've heard this year.

Sonance's ability and creativity to shape and shift their music into different directions without becoming dull or boring, even in the most still parts, is impressive. It really shows the level of maturity that this band holds. Creating this way, from beginning to end, an atmosphere that binds us as we dissect every note with great pleasure. This way it won't take long until Sonance will become a name present in every lover of this genre's mouth.

After this amazing sample i look forward to hear more from this amazing band. If you dig sludge, doom or drone or any of the subgenres, and if you don't listen to this, you don't know what you're missing. Really. What a brilliant release. Sonance, i bow before you.

Meanwhile head over to their Bandcamp and listen/download (name your price) this excellent release. Like always, donations are appreciated. Absolutely fucking highly recommended.

quarta-feira, 14 de novembro de 2012

By now you probably know that i'm a sucker for the next band presented here and all things related to it. And i really could not let this one pass. "III" is the third part of Hell's trilogy, delivering two tracks around 20 minutes each of the most tenebrous and sulfurous doom.

In pair with Thou, Elu Of The Nine and few other acts, Hell are probably one of my favorite bands ever since i discovered them. They simply create this suffocating atmosphere almost as if its coming from the deepest pits of Hell itself. Filthy doom/drone that create this dantesque and archaic scenarios of torture, grief and death. Once again represented through the visual imaginary of Gustave Doré that in my opinion fits perfectly to Hell's sound brought here on "III" and of course in all of their previous releases. The big highlight goes to the track "Decedere" that after the infernal doom/droning experience "Mourn", it sounds like the ascension to the Heavens of all the lost souls trapped in this Hell hole. The angelic voices, something never heard before in Hell's record, suits perfectly in this registration. An amazing sonic experience and a remarkable record by the band. Grab one copy of "III" at Eternal Warfare.